Spinning to Remember
by Scribbles-by-Kate
Summary: One shot based on a thought I had about what Rumple did for Alice. After he makes his sacrifice, Alice has a dream and meets someone in the dream realm. Features a guest appearance by my favourite bookworm. RumBelle, with a teensy bit of Curious Archer, and some Alice/Rumple friendship.


Alice looked around. She was in a strange place, all…glowy, with something falling like flakes, floating around.

She noticed a woman up ahead, coming towards her. She was a tiny thing, dressed in a blue dress, with long brown hair, and, close to, she could see her bright blue eyes. The woman smiled. She was very beautiful.

'Hello, Alice,' she greeted. Her voice was musical.

'Who are you? How do you know my name? Where's Robin?'

'Oh, she's safe, don't worry,' the woman said, smiling.

'No, I want to see her!' Having almost lost her love, Alice was on high alert almost every moment. The thought of being away from her, of not being able to see her, made her panic.

'Of course. There.' The woman pointed, and Alice saw her love sleeping peacefully in their camp, herself sleeping beside her. She was looking at the sleeping figures as if through a veil or a mist, but she could see they were safe, Robin was safe.

'You're in the dream realm,' the woman explained softly. 'You're quite safe. You'll wake up back by her side, I promise.'

Alice looked at the tiny woman, and saw sincerity in her eyes. She felt she could believe her.

The woman smiled at the sleeping figures. 'She's all grown up,' she said softly, looking at Robin.

'You know her?' Alice asked.

'A long time ago,' the stranger said. 'I looked after her a couple of times, when she was a baby.'

'You don't seem old enough,' Alice replied.

The brunette smiled. 'Trust me, I am.'

'Why am I here?' Alice asked. 'And, wait, where's Rumplestiltskin?' she asked, panicked again. She couldn't leave him, not after what had happened. He couldn't be alone.

'He's there,' the woman said softly, and Alice could see him now too, as if through a mist again. He was sitting at his spinning wheel in their camp, babbling away to himself. Spinning seemed to keep him somewhat calm.

Alice looked away. She couldn't bear it. He'd sacrificed his sanity, his mind, for her happiness, for Robin's life. Magic came with a price, he said, and he'd lost everything.

The woman was playing with a ring on her finger. The gesture drew Alice's attention and she looked up at her. She was staring at Rumplestiltskin, a sweet, sad little smile on her face. And Alice realised who she was.

'You're her, aren't you?' she asked, choking up. 'You're his wife. You're Belle.'

Belle looked at her, a tear rolling down her cheek, and nodded.

'I'm so sorry!' Alice cried, rushing over and falling on her knees. 'I'm so, so sorry. I was supposed to help him, I was meant to be the Guardian, but this witch said I had to be willing to sacrifice, to sacrifice Robin. I-I've lost so much, had so much taken from me, my father, my freedom… I couldn't lose her! Rumplestiltskin saved her for me, but in doing that, he lost his mind. And now I can't help him get back to you because what he did means I'm not the Guardian after all. And…and I'm so sorry, but he…he doesn't remember that he has a wife, or anything about the Guardian. I've tried to get him to remember, but it's not working. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.'

Alice sobbed. Belle crouched down, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder.

'Alice, it will be alright,' she soothed.

'How?' Alice demanded. 'How can he find his way back to you when he doesn't remember anything?'

'Because True Love always finds a way,' Belle said, and smiled. 'He and I, we've had so many setbacks, and still, we've always found our way back to each other. This is just another setback.'

'But he doesn't remember,' Alice said. 'He's forgotten everything!'

'I don't believe that,' Belle insisted. 'Our love outlasts death: it can outlast this too, I know it can.'

'He said you never gave up,' Alice said, smiling through her tears.

Belle smiled. 'And I never will. I want to thank you, Alice,' she said, clasping her hand.

'Thank me? Why?'

'For being with him. He needs a friend right now, and what he did for you, that's even more proof that he's a good man, with a pure heart. He will find his way back to me: what he did for you makes me even more certain of that, so thank you.'

'But I need to get him to remember,' Alice said determinedly, 'and then we need to find another Guardian. That witch, she said other people have the potential to be the Guardian: when one doesn't work out, there's someone else waiting. I'll help him find the right person. I will!'

Belle smiled. 'You're very brave.'

Alice ducked her head. 'That means a lot coming from you.' She smiled. 'He told me all about you, you know. Said you were the bravest, kindest person he ever knew, a true hero.'

'Did he now?' Belle asked, sending a fond look towards the man at the spinning wheel.

The whirring of the wheel stopped suddenly. Rumplestiltskin turned his head toward them, as if listening for something.

He smiled. 'Sometimes the best book has the dustiest jacket,' he sing-songed, 'and sometimes, the best teacup is chipped.'

Belle caught her breath. Alice clasped her hand tighter, watching her.

'He does remember,' Belle breathed. 'Look.'

Alice looked. Rumplestiltskin was holding a little white teacup. It had a chip in it, and blue branches painted on it. She'd seen that cup before.

'Our cup,' Belle whispered. 'Rumple, you do remember.'

'Yes,' he said softly, and he seemed to be looking right at her.

'He can see you!' Alice said excitedly.

'Rumple, I love you,' Belle said quickly. 'I never stopped loving you, and I'll never leave you. You'll find me again: you will, I promise.'

'Belle,' he said tenderly, smiling a little.

Then it faded, he waved his hand, and the cup was gone. He turned back to his spinning wheel, and started babbling again.

'No,' Alice breathed, the hope leaving her. 'He's forgotten again.'

'But not completely,' Belle said gently, content. 'He's locked part of himself away, to protect his memories, so he won't forget me. He remembers all of it, including his quest for the Guardian. See? True Love always finds a way.' And Belle smiled.

'I'll make sure he doesn't forget,' Alice promised. 'I'll stay with him. I was going to anyway, but… I won't let him forget, Belle, I owe everything to him.'

'You're very kind,' Belle said softly, 'thank you.'

'He's kind,' Alice said, 'and so are you. I'll help him find the Guardian, Belle: you two should be together, like me and Robin.'

'One day, we will be,' Belle said confidently. 'Take care, Alice: be happy with your Robin, and remember, True Love always finds a way.'

Alice blinked, and woke up with a gasp. She turned as Robin cuddled closer, and smiled.

0

Alice remembered her dream. A few days after it, Rumplestiltskin was sitting at his spinning wheel, holding the cup, not spinning. She smiled. He was thinking of Belle: she knew it. He had shown the cup to her before, when he was completely lucid, and told her all about his beloved wife. Now, she pretended like he hadn't shown it to her, wanting to see if she could get him to talk, wanting to see how much he remembered. If she could get him to talk about Belle as much as possible, she might be able to rescue his mind, keep him lucid for longer, maybe bring him back completely, or at least keep him from succumbing fully to madness.

'That's pretty,' she said.

Startled, he pulled the cup to himself, glaring at her, protecting it.

She cursed herself. She needed to remember to go carefully with him.

'Sorry,' she said, holding her hands up. 'It's ok, I'm not going to take it from you, don't worry.' She smiled. 'It's pretty, though.'

'Yes,' he agreed, drawing the little cup out again and showing it to her.

'Where'd you get it?' she wondered, moving closer slowly. There was a stool near his spinning wheel. He'd placed it there himself earlier. She wasn't sure why, but now she moved towards it.

'It was part of a set,' he said. 'This is the only one I kept.'

'Why keep a chipped cup?' she asked.

'Because she chipped it.' He was looking reverently at the cup, ignoring Alice.

'Who chipped it?'

'Belle. She dropped it when she came to work for me.'

'Belle, huh? Was she pretty?'

'Beautiful, but not your type.' He looked at her now, and smiled a bit. He was all there, for the moment, at least. He was talking like himself again, or more like himself than he had been. What a relief to know it hadn't just been a one-time thing.

'There you are,' she said, smiling.

'Hello, Alice,' he greeted.

'Is it the spinning? Does it help you focus?'

He nodded. 'Helps me remember.'

'Can I sit here?' she asked, gesturing to the stool.

'Please,' he invited. 'Think I must have put it there for you.'

She smiled. 'Tell me about Belle,' she requested, making herself comfortable.

'You already know our story, Alice,' he said.

She shrugged. 'It's a good one: tell me again.' And she clasped her hands, and leaned forward, her elbows on her knees, waiting for him to begin.

He looked at her. 'I won't be able to stay long,' he said.

'Stay as long as you can,' she entreated. 'Maybe the times you're fully you will get longer.'

He nodded. 'Thank you Alice.'

'What for?'

'For keeping me company. It helps: it really does.'

She smiled. 'I'm not going anywhere,' she declared. 'I promised I'd make sure you never forgot.'

'Thank you,' he said again.

'You're welcome. Now, tell me about Belle.'

There you go. Thanks for reading :)


End file.
